Where the Cherry Blossoms Bloom
by CreationsGoneAwry
Summary: He didn't know where she'd been all this time. He didn't know how it was possible for her to completely forget about him after all the moments they spent together under that cherry blossom tree. He didn't know what changed. All he knew was that if he could turn back time, he'd make it so that she never left.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hi again, HM community! I'm taking a(n extended) break from LRA and FTD for right now, but in the meantime I've got all these little ideas floating around in my head, so I decided to finally post another one.

This story will be another multichap (surprise, surprise!), but I won't bother with an updating schedule. It's lighthearted and doesn't follow _too_ much of a plot, so it's more of a whatever whenever kind of thing. I'm mainly just writing it to fill my Raeger/Annie void...

In the future I'm planning on posting a Sunshine Islands fic as well, with an unusual Will/Chelsea pairing. That one'll hopefully be completed soon, actually, then I'll start posting it as it's kind of long.

As always, comments are welcome, and please add this to your favorites/follows if you like it! I'll try not to wait too long in between updates!

* * *

He had a lingering suspicion about her from the beginning.

She'd moved into town just days ago, so they hadn't even formally met yet.

He'd seen her around town at times, usually talking to Veronica or Gunther, but they'd never exchanged words.

Until now.

Trapped in conversation with Gunther, she looked hastily around the town square, and her eyes met Raeger's. Her jaw hung open in surprise and she bowed quickly to Gunther. Then she made her way over.

"I-I don't believe we have met."

Her voice was pleasant and soft, and he decided to greet it with his own lighthearted tone. He shook his head.

"No, not yet. I was starting to wonder if you would ever grace me with your presence."

Her cheeks instantly flushed. "I-I'm sorry! I think I must have come in on a Wednesday because the restaurant was closed... After that, I kept forgetting to introduce myself. I'm so sorry!"

Raeger forgettable? That was a new one. Normally, girls would practically be pounding on his door after learning he was there.

But at least that meant she wasn't another crazed fan. He relaxed at that.

He smiled. "It's fine. You don't have to apologize so much."

She lifted her head slowly, awkwardly, and nodded. She cleared her throat. "My name is Annie. I... don't know if you have already heard of me."

He nodded. "I've heard a little, but it's good to meet you in person. I'm Raeger, head chef, waiter, and owner of the restaurant."

He extended his hand out to her. She stared down at it and shook it shyly. Afterwards, she quickly retracted hers and locked it at her side.

"You run that restaurant all by yourself?"

"Yeah, but we don't get that busy too often."

She tilted her head. "'We?'"

"Oh." He laughed. "I guess I didn't realize I said that. Just an old habit."

Annie pursed her lips, looking probably the most serious he'd seen her yet, and the conversation quickly died, leaving a heavy silence.

"Uh... While we don't get _that_ busy," Raeger started, "I should probably get back. My break's over."

Her mouth formed a wide "O" shape. She bowed her head. "I'm so sorry for disrupting your break."

"No, i-it's completely fine..." He stuck his hands up, not really knowing what to do. "You don't have to bow."

She waited a few moments before slowly lifting her head. "O-okay."

They stood awkwardly, Annie averting her eyes anywhere else.

He cleared his throat. "So... I'll see you around?"

She snapped her head back to look at him. "Y-yes. I'm sure we will meet again."

Raeger gave a nod and turned to leave, but then stopped. "Oh, and Annie?"

She stiffened, back straight. "Yes?"

"You're welcome at the restaurant any time. I've had some good recipes handed down to me throughout the years."

She smiled and nodded. "Thank you."

And with that, he began walking back to the restaurant, thinking about that chance encounter. She was a good, friendly girl with an awkward, overly polite way of speaking. He wasn't quite sure what to think of her yet.

Though, strangely, there was a sense of familiarity about her.

…

A few days later, Veronica called everyone in town to the trade depot. She'd requested they all take the day off from work several weeks ago but never explained why.

"Thank you for coming, everybody," she began, "and welcome to our newest farmer and resident, Annie."

All eyes turned to the young woman, who awkwardly averted hers and nodded.

"For the past season, I have been organizing an event. This is the first year we'll be doing this, but I hope it will become a tradition to promote unity and work ethic in the community. With the additions of all our newest residents, now is the perfect time to do it, I believe.

"I have set up a 'scavenger hunt,' if you will. There are five sites you and your partner will visit. At each site you will find a memo with a 'site word' on it. Collect all five words and record their locations, then come see me as soon as you can to be victorious."

She grabbed a box off the table behind her, holding it in her hand. "In just a few minutes, I will invite you all one by one to reach for a card from this box. Each card has the name of a flower on it and will determine who your partner is."

"Question!" Fritz suddenly called from the crowd. He raised his hand as high as it would go.

"Yes, Fritz?"

"What's the prize for winning?"

Veronica sighed, looking down dejectedly. "I was hoping that new friendships and a test of wits would suffice."

Fritz quieted down.

"All right, everyone," Veronica continued. "Please form a single-file line."

The townspeople congregated themselves into a line quickly, and soon the first few people took their cards from the box.

Raeger stood quietly and watched as Lillie took her turn. When she opened it up, she grew extremely red in the face.

"Is-is this okay?"

Veronica smiled at her. "It's just for the sake of determining a partner, don't worry."

Lillie looked around and her eyes met Raeger's, next in line. Her cheeks grew even redder and she started stuttering. "I-I-I got the 'lily' card."

Raeger stifled a laugh. "That's all right. You like lilies, don't you?"

She lowered her head. "Y-yes. I do."

He smiled and nodded, then she walked away. He stepped up to Veronica and reached into the box. As he was still among the first people in line, there were quite a few cards to choose from. He felt around the box and grabbed one at last.

He brought it up to his face and unfolded it. Written on it in Veronica's calligraphy was the flower "cherry blossom."

A smile spread across his face. Cherry blossoms were his favorite. Did that mean he would have good luck in the scavenger hunt? Who would his partner be?

His eyes focused on the other people in line. After him was Mistel, then Agate, then Annie. What would she draw?

He watched as she slowly picked a card from the box. When she unfurled it, she smiled warmly and held it to her chest. He wondered if she received her favorite flower, as well.

Annie returned to her original spot, next to Eda, and stood quietly. He decided to do the same.

When everyone had a card, Veronica smiled and set the empty box down.

"Okay, everyone. Once you've found your partner, stand together and then we'll begin."

People started to scramble around, voices overlapping as they tried to find the person with the matching card.

Pretty soon, Fritz came into his vision.

"Hey, Raeger!"

Raeger nodded to him. "Fritz. What do you have?"

He held out his card. "I got nadeshiko. What about you?"

"Cherry blossom."

Fritz perked up instantly. "Oh, you're with Annie then." He pointed to the girl a short distance away.

"I am?"

Fritz nodded. "Yup. I already asked her earlier. Go get her!"

Raeger didn't really know what to think or how to feel about that. When she smiled down at the card, was it because she liked cherry blossoms, too?

Well, it wasn't exactly an uncommon flower. A lot of people favored them. Still...

He cleared his mind and cautiously walked over to Annie, greeting Eda in the process. She seemed to be paired up with Iris.

"Hey there," he called.

Annie looked up and nodded. "Good morning."

"What did you pull?" Of course, he already knew, but she might have been frightened or embarrassed if he told her Fritz spread the word.

She looked away shyly. "Ch-cherry blossom."

He held up his drawn paper and smiled. "Me too. I guess we're partners then."

She nodded. "Th-that's what it looks like."

He stood in place next to her, hands in his pockets as he watched the remaining townspeople find their pairs. Elise found Melanie, Klaus found Agate, and Fritz eventually found Mistel.

Veronica cleared her throat once it seemed everyone was ready. She spoke in her normally powerful voice.

"All right! Good job finding your match, everybody. Now, let's begin. Your first stop is marked on your sheet of paper. The order is randomized for each team to reduce overpopulation of a site. If you get stuck, you have your partner, or come see me for help. Are there any questions?"

Beside Raeger, Annie began fidgeting with her hands. She looked like she wanted to say something.

He leaned down close to her. "What is it?" he asked quietly.

"Huh?"

"Is there something you wanted to ask?"

She quickly shook her head. "N-no. It's nothing."

He pursed his lips, hoping it really was.

"Good luck to you all, and I hope to see everyone back soon!" Veronica finished.

At last, she handed out the papers. The townspeople looked down at them, trying to decipher the clues.

Once Raeger got his copy, his eyes were immediately glued. Annie craned her neck to get a better look from afar.

There were five clues, corresponding to five different sites they had to find, just like Veronica said.

"All right," he said. "Our first clue is... 'a place one would catch a crustaceon.'"

Annie perked up. "There is a fishing dock near my house!" She glanced around shyly and lowered her voice. "I-I can find crabs there sometimes..."

He nodded. "Sounds good to me."

They started walking out of the trade depot, but they saw some teams break into a sprint.

"Should we run, too?" Raeger asked.

She averted her eyes. "I-I'm not very fast."

He smiled and folded the paper up, stuffing it into his pocket. "That's fine. Just hold on to me." He grabbed her hand and started running, leaving several other people behind him in the dust.

"R-Raeger!"

He stopped abruptly and looked back at her. That was quite the shriek, unlike anything he'd ever heard her say before. "Are you all right?"

She nodded slowly. "Y-yes."

"Then what's wrong?"

"N-nothing..."

"Is it my hand?" He smiled sadly.

She bit her lip and nodded. "I'm not used to... this."

Raeger let go of her hand and sighed. "You're right. We can just walk. Speed doesn't matter in this, anyway – wits do."

"Y-you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?"

She looked away, not answering.

He shook his head. "No. What would make me upset is standing here and doing nothing. Let's go!"

Annie smiled shyly and nodded. "Yes."

…

They finally stopped at the dock between her and Eda's farms, looking around for the memo as confirmation.

Raeger ran a hand through his hair. If this was the right spot, wouldn't they see other people here, too? At least one other team, if there were only five sites to find?

He looked at the area with more trees. "Ah!" There was a note on a nearby rock in front of them. He crouched down to read it.

"It says 'Congratulations on finding this site. The confirmation word for this site is silk.'"

Silk? Was she just going to list all the names of the trading countries?

No... Veronica was more clever than that, otherwise anyone who figured it out would just write down the remaining countries' names and win. He could see Fritz doing that.

"See, I told you it was here!"

Speaking of Fritz...

Raeger and Annie turned around to see Fritz. Mistel was a short ways behind him, holding the paper in his hand.

"This is the crab site, right?" Fritz asked giddily.

Raeger crossed his arms. "I'm not telling you."

Now beside Fritz, Mistel rolled his eyes. "Why would you even bother asking? They are our rivals."

He walked past Fritz and stood by Annie. "How are you doing? Is Raeger treating you well?"

She nodded almost immediately. "Y-yes! Raeger is extremely kind!"

Raeger stifled a laugh. She said it as if she had practiced it.

Mistel smiled. "I see. That's good to hear." He turned to Raeger. "Annie is a nice girl. Please do not play around with her as you do your other women."

Raeger frowned. "I don't play around. They just don't leave me alone sometimes."

"Jeez, don't brag about it!" Fritz cried, butting in. "You know what a guy would do to be in your shoes?"

Raeger furrowed his brows. "It isn't as luxurious as you think."

"U-um..."

Annie's soft voice startled all three men. They turned towards her and she averted her gaze, noticing theirs.

"Sh-shouldn't we be going?"

Mistel nodded. "She's right. Let's scour the area, Fritz."

"Sure! Whatever that means." He grinned. "We'll beat you guys! This is already our second - "

"Fritz, don't make unnecessary provocations."

Raeger blinked, glancing between the two of them. "Wait, you two already made it past the first site?"

Fritz nodded triumphantly, ignoring Mistel's sharp gaze. "That's right, so you slowpokes better get going!"

Raeger looked back at Annie and nodded. They left wordlessly.

"Um... I'm sorry," Annie said once they were a good distance away.

He turned to her, stopping in his tracks. "For what?"

She fidgeted. "F-for interrupting you all... and for being so slow."

He shook his head. "It's fine, and you're not slow. I bet if I asked you to, you'd run with me, wouldn't you?"

She nodded timidly. "Would... you like me to?"

"Not right now. I'm not really concerned about winning, honestly. Fritz seems more excited than anyone, probably because the prize is bragging rights."

Annie smiled but didn't say anything else, and the atmosphere surrounding her reminded Raeger of earlier.

"What did you have to say earlier?"

She turned towards him and gave him a confused look.

"It looked like you wanted to say something when Veronica asked for questions."

She seemed to understand now, and she looked down at the ground for a moment. "I... I wanted to make sure it was okay for me to participate."

"What?" He stared at her incredulously. "Why wouldn't it be?"

She fidgeted with the fitted waistband of her dress, trying to pick at it. "B-because I just moved in here, and all of you... all of you have known each other for a long time. It feels like I'm intruding on sacred grounds."

Raeger resisted the urge to laugh. "That's quite the thing to say." He cleared his throat. "I'm sure nobody here feels that way about you. We all love it when someone new joins the community. It boosts our spirits."

"Really?" She looked up at him with wide eyes.

He smiled. "Yes, really. A new farmer means more profit for everyone - the town stores, the traders who come to sell their own goods. So don't worry about it." He reached down to ruffle her hair with his hand, an old habit he'd picked up from his late grandfather. She didn't flinch away, but she didn't seem very fond of the contact. He'd have to keep that in mind.

They continued walking at a steady pace, and before he could forget, he pulled out the paper. He jotted down "silk" next to the first site's clue.

"So, next is... 'an area snow never touches.' Do you know of – well, most likely not, right? You just moved here last week."

She nodded. "Sor - "

"Stop apologizing."

She nodded, then fidgeted.

He laughed. "Really. It's all right, I won't bite you."

Annie smiled and pushed her hair behind her ear. He watched her fumble with the loose strands under her hat.

He returned his attention to the paper. "'Snow never touches...' Maybe she means a house or a building? No... otherwise there wouldn't be just one."

He racked his brain for possible answers, then looked over at Annie. "Do you do a lot of farming in other areas?"

"Not... really."

"Hmm."

He thought maybe there was another field with some sort of shelter, even just a wall of trees. What other places were there?

"Oh. What about the rice paddy?"

Annie tilted her head.

"Do crops still grow there in the winter?"

"Um... if the climate is cold, then... I don't believe so. But I-I also think that snow wouldn't grow there, either."

"Snow grows?"

Her cheeks flushed even brighter. "N-no! I meant to say - "

"I know, I know," he said with a smirk. "I'm just teasing you. That's what you get for acting so formally weird around me."

He laughed and ruffled her hair after seeing her expression, already forgetting her apparent discomfort about it. "Show me the real Annie."

The one he suspected he knew from long ago.

…

"All right, so the paddy was good, and now we have... 'the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.'"

Raeger frowned. "Is it just me, or are these clues more like riddles? And they're progressively getting harder."

"Veronica said the order was different for each team, though."

"Maybe this was the original order?"

When she didn't answer, he shrugged it off. "You're right. Let's go."

"Have you figured it out?"

He shook his head. "Not yet. I kind of just wanted to walk, though."

"O-okay."

They walked and talked a bit, but neither had any idea what the clue was supposed to mean. Raeger suggested an apple tree, but Annie told him they don't bloom in the spring.

He slowed down the pace. "We could skip ahead. If the order's different anyway, no one will know we're not doing the right one."

She nodded hesitantly. "Maybe... we'll think of something for this one along the way."

"Now you're getting it."

He scanned the paper, reading through the other two clues. "While we're skipping, we should just pick the one we like better. Do you want 'gather up the light of fireflies at night' or 'sing the song of the birds and see where it takes you?'"

Annie looked around as she thought, fidgeting a little. "The firefly one... that makes it sound like a nighttime event. It isn't dark out yet."

"I don't think Veronica would keep us all out that late," Raeger said, unconvinced. Quite a few townspeople still had to work the next morning.

She looked down. "It sounds fun."

He smiled. "It does. You want to try out that one?"

"Yes." She bit her lip. "B-but the other one sounds more... interesting."

"The song of the birds?"

She nodded.

"Hmm... 'Sing the song of the birds and see where it takes you,' huh?"

"B-but I'll do either one. We could even go back to the apple - "

"No, let's do this one. There's a reason you picked it over the other one even though you liked that, too, right?"

"Yes." She smiled. "If you listen closely... you can hear the birds."

Raeger stood still and listened. Sure enough, he could hear several birds chirping in tune with one another. The suspicion was piling up. "How did you know?"

She tilted her head up toward the trees, watching the birds fly from branch to branch. "I... love birds. They are my favorite animals. There are so many different kinds and colors, each with its own voice. And they are free to fly whenever and how far they want to, and they're never alone."

Before she noticed Raeger's intense stare, she started whistling along with the birds. They were all singing the same song, just at different intervals. One would start, then the rest would follow. Annie would whistle with the leading bird like she knew the song by heart.

The birds welcomed her whistles as just another voice, but she performed even better than them.

"That kind of freedom is beautiful," she said softly after a while. "I envy them."

She watched them longingly, as if clinging to some sort of hope.

That was when Raeger knew.

She had to be Annie, the girl he met so many years ago during the summer he turned ten.

The Annie he knew loved birds, was very clumsy, and would never take no for an answer.

The Annie in front of him was gentle and awkward, graceful and overly apologetic, and seemed to have very little self-confidence.

So what changed? Did she remember him, too? Why didn't she say anything? "Raeger" wasn't exactly a common name.

...Or was he simply clinging to a past long gone?

Annie smiled widely and looked over at him. "Raeger, look! The birds are flying to different trees!"

Raeger just stared at her in amazement and wonder. "Yeah."

"Maybe if we follow them, we'll discover the site?"

He had so many different questions, but he couldn't even be sure it was really her. If he asked her outright, he would probably scare her off and sever their new connection. She only just now started loosening her tongue.

So he decided to just walk with her as they followed after the birds. She paid most of her attention to the sky and the trees, while he focused on the ground so they wouldn't trip or fall.

At long last, the birds nested atop a large tree overlooking some sort of meadow. Upon closer inspection, it was filled with lush, green grass and soft pink cherry blossom trees.

Raeger couldn't hear the birds anymore, though he was unsure if that was because they left or because he was paying attention to something else.

Annie stood at the edge of the meadow, mouth hanging wide open, eyes wider with delight. She looked at everything around before exclaiming, "This is beautiful!"

He smiled. "Yeah."

His Annie also loved cherry blossoms. It was the reason they met.

Petals fell and flew across the air as the spring breeze picked up. A few stuck in Annie's hair and she scrambled to get them out, reaching up and plucking at them.

Raeger grabbed her arm, stopping her. She looked up at him with her big brown eyes.

"Rae - "

"Tell me, Annie," he started, "did... did you used to live in a town called Grandsville?"

Her eyes widened and a look of shock spread across her face. "Y-yes."

He sighed, relief flooding through him. He wasn't crazy. "It's... it's unbelievable, isn't it? That we would actually see each other again after so long... It's me, Raeger. I lived at the bakery with my parents and grandfather. You and your mother would come in every day and order our special pork buns."

Annie shook her head. "N-no, I don't - "

"We would sit under the big cherry blossom tree and talk for hours – well, you would mimic the birds and I would try coming up with new ideas for recipes in the bakery."

She stepped back shakily, tears in her eyes. "Raeger, I... I never did that. I lived in Grandsville when I was younger, and I loved the cherry blossoms, but... but..."

Raeger swallowed a lump in his throat. So maybe he really was forgettable. Why did he think it would be that easy?

He smiled sadly and looked down at the ground. "You remember everything about the town... but you don't remember me?"

She closed her eyes and frantically shook her head. "No."

* * *

 _~CGA_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Hi, guys! Sorry it took me so long to get this chapter out! Uh... I don't really have any reasons.

SaoirseParisa: I already PM'd you, but I wanted to thank you here, too! I don't think it'll get better within this story, as I kind of already have it mostly planned out and everything, but I'm definitely trying to incorporate better detail/narration into my future stories!

Thank you for your feedback, everybody! Don't give up on me yet D:

* * *

One week passed. Raeger ran the restaurant as per usual, tending to the customers and cooking and cleaning. Sometimes people would ask him why he didn't hire any help, but he would just tell him that it was easier on his own. A crowded one-counter kitchen was better with one person.

The bell on the door tolled, signaling someone stepping in. He turned his head and smiled, but his eyes widened slightly, taking in the view.

It was Lillie, small and perky like always, but tagging along behind her was Annie.

Things had been a bit awkward between him and Annie since the scavenger hunt ended. She hadn't spoken more than ten words to him, and when she came in the restaurant, she just ordered and quickly thanked him. She always had someone with her, too. The first time it was Licorice, then Klaus, and now Lillie. She favored the more quiet, refined people, didn't she?

He wondered if maybe he really did scare her away... It seemed every time he tried to apologize, she was either talking to someone or avoiding eye contact with him. He didn't want to scare her even more.

But at the same time, he didn't want to lose touch with her. Not after meeting up with her again after so long...

She could deny it all she wanted, or maybe she really didn't remember, but he wouldn't stop trying. He wanted to ask so much.

Where had she been all this time? What was she doing now? And what happened to make her forget about him? They used to be inseparable.

...But that made it sound like he was obsessed. For now, he would keep trying to apologize. He came on rather strongly, and with someone like Annie, that was something he definitely didn't want to do.

Annie and Lillie chose a far away table to sit at, and he couldn't help but watch them as he cooked.

They talked about something in hushed voices for a while, and soon Annie's face turned bright red. He chuckled seeing it, wondering what they were discussing.

He finished up an order and brought the plates to a different table. He made sure the customers were taken care of, then he walked over to the girls' table.

"Hey, you two," he greeted with a smile.

Neither one looked directly at him, averting their eyes anywhere else. Oh, well – he was used to girls not making eye contact with him, sadly.

"What will you have?"

Lillie glanced away nervously while Annie fidgeted. He was pretty used to this, too. Maybe there was something he could recommend them?

"How about the - "

"We – we'll just have some sweets," Annie interjected somewhat forcefully. "I want... apple pie."

Raeger nodded. He supposed it wasn't dinner time anymore, so it wasn't strange to order something like that. He turned to Lillie. "Apple for you, too?"

She shook her head. "N-no. Lemon meringue... please."

He smiled. "All right, then. Anything to drink, or just the pie?" He looked more at Annie while asking since she seemed to be more comfortable. It was still hard to tell, though.

"No, i-it's okay."

He nodded slowly. No drinks, then, he took that as. "I'll be back in just a few with those."

Raeger turned on his heel to start walking away back towards the kitchen. That was a bit nerve-wracking for him, as -

"Raeger!"

He spun around in a flash, shocked to find Annie standing up, hands slammed down on the table.

"What's the matter?" he asked. It was definitely unlike her to call out to him, much less raise her voice at all.

She seemed to shrink down almost instantly, growing redder in the face. "U-um, is there anybody you like?"

His eyes widened. "What?"

By now, the other customers had quieted down and begun watching them. Annie glanced around briefly and self-consciously sat back down. Beside her, Lillie looked away, beet red herself.

Raeger sighed in understanding. Lillie most likely put her up to that.

He smiled sadly, regaining his composure. That was just another reason he turned down so many women – they were too dependent on other people. If they had just relied on their own abilities and personalities, maybe...

"Talk to me when you're done. Alone," he added with a smile directed at both of them. Even though Lillie appeared to be bothered, she lightened up and returned his smile. Good. He didn't want her to be upset.

It took about a half hour for things to die down. The restaurant was at its post-dinner quiet time now, and there was barely anyone left inside. As Raeger was cleaning up, Annie walked up to the counter alone. Lillie was nowhere to be seen.

He nodded to her and smiled. "Have a seat."

She climbed onto one of the barstools and smoothed her ruffled dress out. She didn't make any move to talk.

He was glad that she wasn't visibly upset about that day of the scavenger hunt anymore, and she didn't seem to be avoiding him anymore, but... he also felt like she was just pushing away her own feelings for the moment. She was too nice.

"Did Lillie ask you to do that?"

She stiffened in her spot. "D-do what?"

"Ask me if I like anybody. She wanted you to do it because she was afraid to, right? And she thinks you have an easier time talking to me?"

She watched him with wide eyes as he talked, and then she hesitantly nodded. "How did you know?"

Raeger shrugged nonchalantly. "This isn't the first time it's happened. Besides," he continued, softening his tone, "you don't seem like the type of person to be concerned with that."

She bit her lip and shook her head. "Y-you're wrong. I wanted to know."

"What?" This wasn't good for his heart!

She fidgeted. "Lillie did tell me to ask you that, but I wanted to know, too. Since you told me you and I used to know each other..."

"And you thought asking me if I liked anyone would help? With what, exactly?"

"W-well, not exactly that topic... just things about you in general. I want to know more about you. Maybe then, I will remember you."

He stared at her in disbelief for a moment, then quickly looked away and covered his reddening face. Oh, man, this was bad. She was so pure and sincere it was almost adorable.

He shook his head, banishing those thoughts. "If anything, it feels like I shouldn't remember you – or shouldn't have recognized you, anyway. I'm essentially the same exactly person from back then, only I'm taller now. But you, Annie... you're so much different."

"Is... that a bad thing?"

"No! Well, to be honest, I don't really know right now..."

"..."

He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "You're so much different that this almost feels surreal, us meeting again. It's fine if you don't want to hang around me. I'm not much fun, anyway."

"B-but - "

"You don't have to try and make me happy, Annie. You already have by coming back and showing me you're safe. Worry about yourself."

He reached forward and ruffled her hair before walking around the counter to tend to the others in the restaurant.

Closing time was nearing now, and the last remaining people finally left. Annie stayed for some time while he cleaned even though he told her she should go home, but she had left now.

He wiped down the counter and tables, took stock, and bagged the trash and opened the door to throw it out. On his way out, he passed by Annie standing against the siding of the building. He dropped the bag.

"Annie! It's freezing out here, jeez!"

He shrugged off his jacket and draped it around her shoulders. "What are you thinking? You're gonna catch a cold."

Annie didn't say anything or even acknowledge his presence, let alone his jacket.

"Annie?"

"...why."

He leaned closer to try and hear better. "What?"

"I don't know why, but... I want to spend more time with you."

He blinked in confusion and stared at her.

She was certainly different, but not just from her childhood self. She was different from any other girl he'd met in recent memory. She didn't know why she wanted to spend time with him? Normally, girls didn't _stop_ giving him reasons why.

But that was okay. He'd rather not hear any from her.

He ruffled her hair again and smiled. "Then let's plan something for tomorrow. That's my day off."

She nodded shyly. She shivered and only then acknowledged his jacket, wrapping it around herself contentedly.

"I'll walk you home."

Raeger quickly disposed of the trash bag and then began walking with her through the town. He wondered if she knew her way around by now and was about to ask, but something about the comfortable silence told him not to. These quiet, peaceful moments as they listened to only the patter of their feet and the chirping of the insects would be ruined if he opened his mouth.

Time passed quickly, he realized, as Annie's farmland came into view. It was dark and she had no porch light, so he led her to her door.

She thanked him and said goodnight, and Raeger saw her off. But as she was about to enter the house, he turned back around and called out to her.

"Annie?"

She looked at him from behind the door. "Yes?"

Then he started stuttering, not knowing how to word this. "I-I wouldn't exactly say I like her, but... I am certainly interested in someone."

…

He waited outside her house the next morning, having told her he would pick her up at nine. It was only quarter to, so he allowed her some time while he looked around at all the land she owned.

She had a cow outside, and he could faintly hear the clucks of a hen from inside the coop a ways back. She seemed to favor strawberries.

He smiled. She was just starting out. Come autumn, she'd probably have this place completely full of life.

He heard footsteps as she came to the door and opened it. She wore a nice yellow spring dress with daisies adorning it.

Her face reddened as she looked over his more casual attire. "S-sorry. I think I was under the impression that this was a d-date..."

He smiled and shook his head. "That's fine. Think of it as one if it makes you feel better."

After all, she _was_ the one he was interested in, and she did say she wanted to get to know him better. That meant... weren't they technically on a date right now, anyway?

He stuck his hands in his jeans pockets as they walked down the paths. Before they went too far, though, he led her to the meadow again to watch the breeze sway the cherry blossom trees back and forth.

Annie seemed content just observing nature, and before too long she was looking around, trying to find the birds she was hearing. But a few minutes later she turned to face him.

"Raeger, why did you bring me here?"

"You said you wanted to remember me, right?"

She nodded. "Of course."

He looked out at the trees. "Then we should come here often. Under cherry blossom trees is where we almost always were back then. You liked the scents and the pale pink color. This is just a hunch I have, but... I think if we spend enough time here, then maybe you'll regain your memories."

And she obviously felt comfortable here, when there wasn't anybody watching her. She already wasn't stuttering as much, and she seemed more at peace.

She looked down at her feet. "Spend time here... together?"

He nodded. "Yeah. What do you think?"

"...Okay."

She fidgeted with her hands, not meeting his eye. "Why are you doing this for me?"

He mussed her hair. "That's what friends do. You're important to me, Annie."

"B-but we don't know each other anymore."

He sighed and ran a hand through his own hair. "I know. But if I could turn back time, I'd make it so that you never left."

"Raeger..."

"I mean it," he said, turning to her to smile.

They continued observing the nature-filled meadow for some time. Annie listened to and mimicked the birds perfectly, and Raeger wished he had a notebook with him as he watched her. Maybe one day he would finally be able to share all his "recipes" with her, which brought a smile to his face.

Yet, as she wandered around with a huge smile, his lips curved down into a slight frown.

He didn't know why or how, but she was damaged. The way they were always together, there was no way she would actually forget about him, regardless of how many years it'd been. Ten?

...No, it was longer, if she left before he did, and his parents divorced when he was eleven. He was twenty-four now. More than thirteen years had passed since they last saw each other.

But that didn't matter. Annie's qualities – kindness, grace, gentleness – were all the standards he'd always held other women to.

All the days and nights they'd spent just in each others' presence, soaking up the shade under the biggest cherry blossom tree in town, she couldn't have just up and forgotten him like that. There had to be something blocking her memories of him, or something of the sort. He couldn't think of anything else. Maybe if he could get her to talk about it...

He relaxed and sat down in the middle of the field. He wasn't a doctor, let alone a psychiatrist. Not everybody retained their childhood memories. Those times were probably only special to him.

But he couldn't give up hope. There was a reason she came back into his life, and he couldn't just ignore that.

* * *

 _~CGA_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Hi, everyone! Thanks for all your feedback, as always :)

Raeger's just starting to figure out and piece together his own feelings while trying to understand Annie's here, so things are finally starting to pick up a little bit. I hope to keep the chapters right around this length, as chapter two was pretty short.

Raeger (well, this version, anyway) is surprisingly hard to write about as the main character. More surprising is when he creates his own dialogue and thoughts even though the outline of the chapter is already completed. So he's pretty fun to write, I'd say, and it gives the whole story a different edge, y'know?

* * *

Annie made her rounds in the morning, stopping and being stopped by nearly everyone she crossed paths with. She was full of energy and enthusiasm, and her bag seemed infinitely spacious as she brought out gift after gift for the townspeople.

Raeger watched her from afar, admiring her high spirits. She'd do anything to make people happy, wouldn't she?

She bowed to Veronica after bestowing a gift and walked away. Her eyes landed on Raeger from across the plaza and seemed to light up instantly. He stifled a laugh. At least that hadn't changed; she always wore her heart on her sleeve.

Annie's footsteps sounded quietly as she made her way to him. "Um, Raeger..."

A playful smirk crept onto his face. "That's no way to greet someone, is it?"

She looked down and frantically shook her head. "N-no. Good morning!"

He chuckled. "Relax, silly." On instinct, he reached out to ruffle her hair, but then he thought better and retracted it. She was probably bothered by that, as she didn't like it when they held hands during the scavenger hunt...

He vaguely remembered trying to keep that in mind before, and he felt guilty thinking back. How uncomfortable had he made her already?

His hand hanging awkwardly in the air, he tried to play it off as a stretch and added in a yawn. "So what brings you here so early?"

"Oh!" She perked up. "I, um, wanted to know what your favorite food is."

Favorite food? She should have already -

Right. Even though it hadn't changed, she didn't remember. He rubbed at his neck. "Annie, I'm a chef. I can make pretty much anything I want."

"S-so you don't have a favorite?" she asked, looking dejected. She kicked her feet at the ground.

"Well, that's not... Okay, okay." Time to stop brushing it off. He couldn't stand seeing her like that. "I'm quite fond of seafood, and I'd have to say rice with sea urchin is my favorite dish."

Annie nodded all too eagerly. "Okay. I'll try making it sometime soon."

Sometime soon... It was vague, and his birthday was still a couple weeks away, but could it be? Was she implying that she would make him a birthday meal? Did she remember summer ninth?

He smiled sadly and banished the thoughts with an inward sigh. There was no way she remembered, as he never made a big deal out of his birthday when they were younger. He doubted she even knew it back then.

"Don't trouble yourself," he said simply.

"I won't." Annie bowed her head and started walking away. As he watched her go, he spotted Marian in the distance and got an idea for later.

His eyes followed Annie until she stopped to talk to Mistel a short distance away, then he suddenly felt a pang.

"Raeger!"

He turned around to see Fritz running towards him. The redhead seemed out of breath but spoke loudly anyway.

"Hey! We got a new trader in town. You wanna go see him? I think he's an easterner 'cause he's really super polite. He kinds reminds me of – Annie!"

After he shouted her name, she turned around, smiling and waving at Fritz. Mistel didn't pay any mind to him, but for some reason Raeger couldn't shake the strange feeling inside him.

It wasn't like he and Mistel were on bad terms – in fact, they often cooperated to increase their numbers of customers and sales. Mistel would pitch an idea and Raeger would execute it. They actually had another meeting coming up at the end of the season. So why did he get such a dreadful feeling seeing him now?

"Oh, looks like she likes Mistel," Fritz commented, only adding to the feeling as they watched the two converse. "Or Mistel likes her and she just doesn't know how to get away. Hey, Raeger, d'ya think we should tell her to let him down easy? Or if she really does like him, then - "

"That's enough."

Fritz blinked in confusion. "Wha...? Oh, I get it!" He grinned as if he'd just made some sort of discovery. "You're jealous."

Raeger crossed his arms almost instinctively. " _You're_ delirious."

Fritz laughed. "You are sooo jealous! That's okay, I understand."

"But I'm not - "

"Raeger, Annie's really pretty. It's fine to be a little... possessive of her. You like her, and you wanna be closer to her, right? You wanna hug her and comfort her when she's sad and ki - "

" _Fritz_!"

Fritz clammed up, shocked at the outburst, and Raeger sighed. This wasn't good. He was starting to lose his composure.

He didn't want to be upset with Fritz, and it wasn't like Fritz was trying to make him upset – then again...

If only there was someone who knew the circumstances, who wouldn't judge or prod from the outside. He needed someone to confide in... with confidence... like someone restricted by laws of confidentiality.

He remembered Marian, and his earlier hesitant idea came back to him.

…

"All right, honey, tell me what's wrong."

Marian filled up two teacups with piping hot herbal tea and brought them over to the coffee table, setting them down on coasters. Raeger gratefully accepted it but didn't sip any.

He sighed heavily. "Hoo, boy, where do I start..."

He slowly opened up about the girl who'd been troubling his life recently. Ever since she came back, he'd been second-guessing himself, acting foolishly, and lashing out at others more often. He wanted to understand why, as this was hardly normal behavior, especially for someone so usually reserved as him. He'd never felt like this before.

But at the same time, Marian wasn't a therapist, and just barely passed the qualifications to be a doctor...

"You said she's just now re-entered your life?" Marian asked.

Raeger nodded. He might have left that part out. "We grew up in the same town. I guess you could say we're... childhood friends." He rubbed at his neck. Saying it like that made him _feel_ childish. Wasn't there another way to put it?

But... they were only friends when they were younger. They weren't nearly as close as they used to be. What were they now?

"So, if you two go way back... are these new feelings or old ones resurfacing?"

Raeger stared at him in confusion. "Huh?"

Marian chuckled. "Don't tell me you haven't noticed, honey."

"Noticed what?"

Marian smiled and leaned back on the sofa, crossing his legs as he stared at Raeger. "You're interested in her."

Raeger sighed. He should have known that was where this was going. "Sure, I'm interested in her, I guess, but only in the sense that I want to know what happened to her. What made her forget about me like that? I mean... all that time we spent together... I know we were just kids, but it had to have meant something to her, right?"

Marian shook his head. "I don't have the answers for your questions, but riddle me this: did you already feel this way before seeing her again? Love or not, this newfound interest in her brings questions of its own."

Strange wording aside, Marian had a point...

Had he actually been thinking about her all this time, or was it just her sudden appearance that brought all those memories back? It was hard to try to understand which it was.

He tried thinking back on his life without Annie, without his best friend, for the thirteen-plus years she was gone. Did he miss her at all, past the initial year or so? Did he _really_ hold other girls to the standards that little Annie seemed to possess?

Throughout his life, especially his teenage years, he'd gone through quite a number of girlfriends, but he'd thought of it as nothing more than them just wanting eye candy or something to brag about. He'd never understood why he was popular, but he'd just gone along with it, anyway, to more or less pass the time.

All the girls were clingy, emotional, needy, mean, or some combination of all of those, so his relationships never lasted longer than three months. Now, he hadn't had an actual girlfriend in probably two years.

That was hardly Annie's influence, right? His failed relationships were because of his commitment issues – but he couldn't let the girls go completely blameless, either.

Other than that, he'd finished school without a problem, his family wasn't too much of an issue after the passing of his grandfather, and life in Oak Tree was about as eventful as an outsider would expect it to be. There was nothing to remind him of Annie here, other than the rare instance that she would move here herself.

He sighed, resting against the back of the chair. So this was just a phase. It would probably pass. He would give up trying to regain her memories of him and just say it was a misunderstanding, that there just happened to be two girls named Annie in the small town of Grandsville. Then they would go back to being perfect strangers, and he would be nothing more than a villager she brought daily gifts to.

But... he wasn't sure if he wanted that. He didn't have feelings for her, but maybe, just maybe, if he could coax her into remembering him, their friendship could blossom again.

" _Raeger!"_

 _Raeger looked up from his notebook just enough to see Annie covered in dirt and grime. Her yellow dress was ripped where she would kneel down, her hair had come out of her own braids she was so proud of earlier, and her arms and legs were covered in scrapes and scratches. But despite all that, she wore a crooked smile and held out her cupped hands to him._

" _Look, look! I caught something!"_

 _Was that why she was so dirty? She was always chasing after something or other... wait, caught?_

" _Is that another bug?" he asked tentatively. Seriously, why did she - "Aah! Get it away! Get it away!"_

" _No!" she cried, closing her hands back up immediately to keep the bug contained. "You'll scare it, Raeger!"_

 _He nestled himself back up against the tree. "Well, stop it from scaring me first," he muttered._

" _What?"_

" _N-nothing!" he shouted dismissively. "Anyway, get rid of that thing or your mom'll get mad at you again."_

 _Annie pouted, stomping a foot on the ground. "I'm not taking it home this time... and plus, I wanted to show you! Its wings look like a fence, and it's really pretty... But I guess if you're scared, I can let it go - "_

" _I'm_ not _scared! Show it to me!" he protested a bit angrily._

 _She pulled back. "You're really gonna scare it away like that..."_

 _Raeger crossed his arms. "Am not."_

 _Annie giggled suddenly. Raeger looked up and saw her peeking through the cracks in her hands again. "It's moving around! It tickles!"_

 _He watched her for a minute or so, then cleared his throat. "What does it look like?"_

" _I thought you didn't want to see it."_

 _He shook his head. "Just describe it to me. It won't be scary then," he added under his breath. He grabbed his notebook and pen from the ground beside him._

 _Annie gaped at him. "You're gonna think up recipes from the bug?!"_

 _He laughed, smiling. "It might give me some inspiration."_

" _Oh!" She suddenly perked up. "W-well, I think this one'll be perfect, then. It's called the... coffee bee hawkmoth. Did I say it right?"_

" _How would I know?" So it was a moth? He picked up the pen and began moving it._

" _Um, anyway," Annie continued, "I was with my dad when we saw one just like this. He went to the library and came home and told me all about it later. It... it's like a yellow and green, and there's a red stripe that wraps around it at the butt, a-and its wings are black and really thin and look like a fence..."_

 _Every now and again she paused to peek at the moth through her hands, while Raeger's hand went to work. He couldn't be sure that this was what it really looked like, but it wasn't as terrifying as seeing it up close, and this way Annie was still happy._

 _She continued her half-baked description of the moth until he was done sketching, and not a moment later when she tried to take another peek, it escaped from her hands and flew off._

" _Ah!" she cried, watching it helplessly. "The moth! Mr. coffee bee hawkmoth...!" She jumped up towards the sky in futile attempts to reach it._

 _Raeger got up and grabbed her arm before she could run after it. "C'mon, Annie. We should go home. It's getting dark out."_

 _She glanced up at the sky and nodded slowly. She turned to him. "Did you think of a good recipe?"_

 _He nodded. "Yeah."_

 _Annie kicked at the dirt with her shoes. "Will you ever make it for me?"_

" _No way!" he said immediately, a bit taken aback. He saw her face, though, and cleared his throat. "I-I mean, you have to wait until me and my dad start our restaurant."_

 _She tilted her head. "Aren't you gonna work with your grandpa in that faraway restaurant?"_

" _No. Dad said we'll expand the bakery to make it a restaurant someday."_

" _When will that be?"_

 _He stopped in his tracks, thinking about his parents and wondering himself. "After I graduate."_

" _Wow..." Annie trailed off. "That's a long time."_

 _He shook his head. "Not really. It's nine more years before you graduate, but for me it's only seven."_

 _Annie nodded, then started giggling. Raeger looked back. "Wh-what?" Did he say something funny?_

" _You're like a big brother."_

 _He turned away from her and started walking again. "Don't call me that."_

" _Ah! Wait for me..."_

 _Annie caught up and clung to his arm, keeping them both at a steady pace. Raeger's sketchbook was securely tucked underneath his other arm, his pen in his pocket. Truthfully, he wanted to show her all his "recipes," but first he had to get better at creating them._

"Well?" Marian's cheerful voice abruptly brought him back from his memories. "Have you thought about her before now? Are your feelings just threatening to spill out, being carried over from so many years ago?"

Raeger pursed his lips and stared down at the coffee table. "I... I'm not sure. But I don't think so."

After thinking back, he remembered he was actually kind of a jerk to her back then. Was it the age difference making him feel superior or something? Maybe he was taking his frustration at home out on her? The year he turned eleven was definitely hard on him.

But was he just bullying and being mean, or was he hiding his feelings beneath that exterior? Did he like her? Was it even possible to like someone in a romantic sense before puberty?

Those feelings were so simple and easy to understand back then, but looking back on it now, they were rather complicated. Children seemed to think much more than adults gave them credit for.

Putting that aside... how _did_ he feel about her now? Admittedly, he'd never really given her a second thought until she came back. Along with that, he'd hardly spent enough time with her to distinguish his feelings yet – at least, if it were anybody else, he wouldn't have had enough time. Was he letting nostalgia get in the way of who she was now? Maybe he'd been inadvertently pushing her new self away while clinging to the past. The past that they didn't share.

He sighed, resting his head in his hands. "What do I do...?"

"Rae Rae..."

Marian moved over to where Raeger was sitting and patted his back. "Honestly, I've never heard of this happening – somebody losing their memories of a person who was once precious to them. It sounds like the premise to a movie. Ha!"

Raeger didn't budge. Marian cleared his throat. "I'm not basing this off anything, but just off the record, perhaps there is something blocking her memory of you. Something painful, something big, some kind of trauma..."

Raeger stared wide-eyed. When he asked why she didn't remember him, he didn't quite mean it like that. But maybe that made sense... He did think she was "damaged" somehow, and saying that was just a nicer way of saying traumatized.

Then... what if how he treated her contributed to that? What if she didn't want to remember him because of how mean he was to her? Did he cause her trauma? But she was always smiling so happily...!

He groaned and palmed his face. He was overthinking this and he knew it, but he couldn't stop. Annie was quite the outspoken girl for her age. If something was wrong, she definitely would have told him, right?

"Don't beat yourself up over this," Marian told him. "It cannot be an easy situation to be in."

Raeger stayed silent.

"Look, honey, you want my advice? Talk to her more. Bring up things from the past that only you two would remember. What was her favorite food? What was her favorite pastime?"

He'd already tried that, though. He thought he'd scared her away by bringing up Grandsville and those pork buns already. Was Marian suggesting he get even more personal? She just might move away without warning again.

He sat upright. Maybe that was why he was so hung up over this? She and her family – well, her mother – left without saying anything. He'd probably just been searching for some closure all along.

He turned to face Marian. "Thanks. I think I know what to do now."

"Oh, no problem, Rae Rae honey." Marian waved it off. "You're welcome here any time, you know. And next time, I'll have Angela brew the tea. You haven't even touched what I prepared."

Raeger looked down at his full teacup, a pang of guilt washing over him. "I'm sorry. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of tea."

"No? I always see boxes of tea leaves in your restaurant, though."

He smiled sadly. "My grandfather taught me to use them as garnishes and air fresheners, like potpourri."

"I see, I see," Marian replied with a nod. "I vaguely remember him doing that... Ah, Rae Rae, your grandfather was a wonderful man. We all miss him dearly."

Raeger stood up, starting to feel uncomfortable. "Yes."

"Well, honey, if it's any consolation, I'm sure you're making him proud. He would be overcome with joy to see you now. The restaurant is going strong, you're on fine terms with your parents, and just look at the young man you're turning out to be. Why, if I was ten years younger, I'd - "

"Thank you, Marian."

…

He didn't want to admit it, but he'd probably be relying on Marian a lot more often from now on. He hadn't spoken to him about his private matters in quite some time. Marian had a way of lightening the mood while still providing solid advice, and it was good to see that hadn't changed.

Now for the matter at hand.

It'd only been a few hours at most since he'd seen Annie, so he wasn't sure if he should be bothering her again so soon. But he just needed this one last selfish request granted, then he would leave her alone. She wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

Raeger walked through the town, looking for signs of the girl, but everyone he asked said she'd left a while ago and pointed him in the direction of the hills.

He headed for the stairway leading out of town, and then the winding paths up the hills. He passed Fritz' and Giorgio's farms, the river, the bridge, and the rice paddy before stopping.

Would she be at her farm or in the meadow? He could see it either way – bettering herself at work or taking a well-deserved break in nature.

After a moment of debate, he turned to go to the meadow. If she wasn't there he could turn around and head to her farm instead.

The grass seemingly went on for miles, stretching as far as he could see. Pale pink petals floated on the gentle breeze, and birds chirped happily all around him from above, but Annie was nowhere to be seen. He really thought she would be here, too.

Just to be sure, he walked through a clearing in the trees. Maybe she was resting against a trunk like she used to. As expected, he didn't see her, because she wasn't the Annie he used to know anymore. Her pastimes had certainly changed by now – the bird-calling was just a coincidence.

He quietly made his way back, watching his steps as he went, but something he thought was a voice startled him. He turned around and nearly gasped.

There she was, under one of the larger trees he passed on the way through. He wondered why he didn't see her before. She slouched against the trunk, eyes shut, hair slightly disheveled, legs outstretched. The corners of his mouth tugged up into a smile. Some things hadn't changed about her, after all.

"...ger."

He looked at her face, her lips slightly parted. So that was her voice he heard? "Ger?" Was... was she calling his name?

He knelt down beside her and strained his ears, waiting to see if she would say anything else. It was strange – he never knew her as a sleep talker.

"Rae...ger." Her chest steadily rose and fell with each careful breath she took. "I... never wanted... to leave."

His eyes widened. How did she know that was what he came here for? More importantly... what?

"I... miss you."

Without thinking or realizing it, he pulled her in close to him, embracing her tightly. He stroked her hair and held her tighter, while she stayed fast asleep. She'd probably been burning herself out doing all that farm work. She was always extremely clumsy, but she'd never ask for help, despite how outspoken she was. That was just how she was.

She didn't ask for help when she ran her first errand, buying bread at the bakery. She was six years old and smiled and held it together even when she discovered she didn't have enough money to buy herself a treat. He covered for her and gave her a pork bun anyway, telling her to keep quiet about it.

She didn't ask for help when she was being tormented by the other neighborhood kids. She came into the bakery with her mother, all smiles again, and only showed the bruises to him in secret because she thought they were shaped like birds. Of course, he went out the next day and told the younger boys to knock it off "or else."

She didn't ask for help when her father decided to leave and her mother fell sick. They stopped coming into the bakery for a little while, but whenever he saw her at school she acted like there was nothing wrong. And then she vanished.

Annie just didn't ask for help. She always tried tackling things herself. But right now, hearing her say she never wanted to leave, she missed him... it sounded like a cry for help.

So he gave her body one more squeeze before resting her back against the cherry blossom tree. He could be selfish and indulge himself in the things Fritz teased him about earlier, if only for a little while as he waited for her to wake up on her own. He would keep watch, because even though she was headstrong and tried to do everything herself, she was still Annie, after all – a klutz, a girl.

He didn't know how he felt about her, or if this really was just a passing phase, but he didn't need to in order to stay close to her.

* * *

 _~CGA_


End file.
